How to add outlook.com/hotmail/live accounts to Mac OS X Mail app (or any IMAP client really)

Quoted from answers.microsoft.com, one can finally use Mac Mail app to use outlook.com, even though it’s just using IMAP. Before it was only possible to use POP, which was a let down.  

Here you go:

Incoming (IMAP) Server
Server address: imap-mail.outlook.com
Port: 993
Encrypted Connection: SSL

Outgoing (SMTP) Server
Server address: smtp-mail.outlook.com
Port: 25 (or 587 if 25 is blocked)
Authentication: Yes
Encrypted Connection: TLS

User name: Your email address
Password: Your password

 

Here are step by step instructions (take note of the ports to be used though from above):

To set up your Mac Mail to sync your Outlook.com account’s email:

1.       Open Mac Mail.
2.       From the File menu, choose Add Account…
3.       Input your account information.

If Mac Mail allows you to choose an account type (POP3 or IMAP):
4.       Choose Account Type: IMAP.
5.       Input the following as the Incoming Mail Server: imap-mail.outlook.com.
6.       Choose to Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for incoming mail security.
7.       Input the following as the Outgoing Mail Server: smtp-mail.outlook.com.
8.       Choose to Use Authentication.
9.       Choose to Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for outgoing mail security.

If Mac Mail does not allow you to choose an account type (POP3 or IMAP):
4.       Change your Email Address/User Name to a dummy value, like [email protected].
5.       Change your Password to a dummy value, like “password”.
6.       Click Continue.
7.       Choose Account Type: IMAP.
8.       Input the following as the Incoming Mail Server: imap-mail.outlook.com.
9.       Choose to Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for incoming mail security.
10.      Input the following as the Outgoing Mail Server: smtp-mail.outlook.com.
11.      Choose to Use Authentication.
12.      Choose to Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for outgoing mail security.
13.      Click Create.
14.      Choose Preferences from the Mail menu.
15.      Click the Accounts icon in the toolbar at the top of the Mail Preferences window.
16.      Click the account you just created.
17.      Change the Email Address/User Name and Password to your. actual Microsoft Account email address and password.

For more information on connecting your app to Outlook.com, visit this link:http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/outlook/send-receive-from-app.

 

 

 

Additional info (Exchange ActiveSync, POP, IMAP) on connecting to outlook.com can be found here:

Outlook.com Mail Server Settings